Aspiring hotel and restaurant managers have the best opportunities if they complete a four-year bachelor's degree program in this field. Hotel and restaurant management programs teach students how to supervise a staff and efficiently operate a facility by providing them with management, financial and problem-solving skills, according to Education-Portal.com. Bachelor's degree programs also usually require students to complete an internship at a local restaurant, cafeteria or hotel/motel before they graduate.
Two-year associate degree programs in hotel and restaurant management also are available and provide students with the basics of managing these facilities. Many hotel and restaurant management programs are available online as well. The Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration accredits programs in this field.
To get into a hotel and restaurant management program, students typically must have a high school diploma or GED. Many programs also only accept students who have a grade point average of at least a 2.0. Students additionally might have to take English and math placement tests. Students who have an associate degree in hotel management, restaurant management, hospitality or business also can transfer to bachelor's degree hotel and restaurant management programs through college partnerships.
Classes in a hotel and restaurant management training program cover topics such as nutrition, sanitation, accounting, business law, food planning and restaurant menu management, according to WorldWideLearn.com. In addition, students learn food preparation, hospitality information systems, hotel front desk management, strategic marketing, cost control and economics, according to Northern Arizona University, which offers a bachelor's degree program in this field.
Hotel and restaurant management students learn how to handle payroll, hire and manage employees, and follow safety procedures and laws concerning serving alcoholic beverages. When studying hotel management, they additionally learn how to set rates and manage room service and housekeeping.
After completing a hotel and restaurant management program, students can find employment in a wide variety of settings. Potential employers range from lodging facilities such as Holiday Inn and Radisson Hotels to well-known restaurants such as The Old Spaghetti Factory or even theme parks such as Walt Disney World. Most large hotel chains hire managers who have at least a four-year bachelor's degree in this field, while smaller hotels accept those with an associate degree. Meanwhile, many national or regional restaurant chains recruit students who have completed either associate or bachelor's degree programs in this industry.
Employment of both lodging managers and food service managers is projected to grow by 5 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Median annual wages of lodging managers including hotel managers in May 2008 were $45,800, while the figure was $46,320 for food service managers such as restaurant managers, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.